Daily Update: Malakai Black statement, Kenny Omega, Google trends

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

The aftermath of the AEW brawl after All Out
Why suspensions were lifted
The CM Punk injury and how it changes things
AEW video game promotion in Japan
What people under suspension aren’t allowed to do
Tony Khan position
Clearing up some wrestling stories
Ideas for AEW to improve the developmental rate of its young talent
The most important thing for AEW long-term
Ways to get wrestlers more time in the ring
Ways to get wrestlers more time learning promos and angles
Complete coverage of UFC 279
The life and death of UFC star Elias Theodorou
Coverage of this past week’s Stardom PPV show
How every wrestling show this past week did in the ratings, competition, football, where WWE & AEW fall in entertainment standings, how the segments on the major shows did
Unique finish to set up CMLL tournament final
Final build to the anniversary show
CMLL star undergoes surgery
Promotion talk about new reality show idea
Stardom Five Star Grand Prix update
New Japan and Stardom business rundowns, profits, losses, revenue, streaming numbers
Kota Ibushi update
Yuji Nagata celebrates 30 years in the ring
New Japan Strong TV for the future
Talk about the Desperado vs. Jun Kasai bloodbath
Generational dream match announced between 80 legend and modern legend
Konosuke Takeshita’s ten year anniversary
Ricky Steamboat returns to the ring
How viewing is changing
Story behind Steamboat’s comeback
More on movies about 80s stars and a movie on the life of modern star
Hall of Famer from Japan wants match with Moxley
Wrestling cartoon show canceled
Latest on WBD and wrestling
More AEW injury news
Ticket sale numbers for WWE & AEW shows
International TV numbers
Streaming numbers
More on the business of doing major shows
Commission examining UFC backstage brawl
More Clash at the Castle news
WWE projected revenue for this year
Why Raw will have a problem next week
Gable Steveson update
New talent coming to NXT
A&E bio news

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Sunday News Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking all the weekend news and taking email questions to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com. My show covering the last week of news with Garrett Gonzales, talking a number of significant stories about the future notably the possibility of a 2024 merger of NBCU and WBD, lessons of Wednesday’s AEW ratings and more is up on the site now.

Malakai Black released a statement about his situation, confirming his release from AEW, mad that aspects of it went public , and complained of promises not delivered. The full statement is:

Firstly thank you all for your messages, know they are being read and appreciated. With all the turmoil going on in the landscape of Professional Wrestling I took the time to think of my words but also needed to wait until conversations between mine and AEW’s camp had come to a conclusion.

Firstly, I dislike reading parts of my private conversations between myself and AEW in regards to my mental well being on the internet. These conversations were private and not meant to be shared with the public. As by now most people realize I am a very private person and do not feel the need to have stuff like this out on the internet.

If you’ve been following me longer than a cup of coffee you’re aware I’ve spoken about them prior but would like to be the one deciding when this finds its way to the public and not through someone else’s mouth, as with anything through the lips of someone else: that story gets distorted.

Secondly, to be in line with the above, they also need context:

I did indeed ask for my release, the last 2 years of my life have lended to a lot of set backs. Both me and my wife have been affected by uncontrollable actions from the outside that resulted in loss of life, medical set backs, career jeopardizing, the suicide of a close friend and a close family member almost losing their life, then experiencing an injury that I was sure was the end of my career.

I spend every week going through several sessions of rehab, dry needling and therapy just to be able to walk and compete. Now this being the tip of the iceberg and with the combination of the promises in my professional field that were not upheld which resulted as a combination of all of these to a complete demoralization of life and career.

This decision had been in my mind for the past six months. It’s hard to really put a finger and say “this was the moment it all went wrong.” But I can tell you after many years that I have learned from a rational point of view to see when I need to hit the breaks; which is what this is.

Perhaps once my mind settles on certain things and processes the last 2 years a bit better I will convey (via a different platform than written out) what the exacts were that happened, and have a more informed conversation about them.
For now know that I am good, and am taking, for the first time in 22 years, a few months to recalibrate the last 2 decades of my life.

Lastly, I have read a few narratives online in regards to my “release”, mental health and my personal life that I can summarize swiftly; if it didn’t come from me, it didn’t happen.

Stuff about conditional releases, stuff in my marriage or using said mental health to leverage the other when as I said before that part wasn’t even going to be part of the public conversation are false. My marriage is fine, I am fine. It is just time to make sure those things stay that way.

Once again, I appreciate your support and we will see each other soon enough.

A photo has surfaced from a television appearance in Japan of Kenny Omega showing fresh bite marks on his left forearm. It was from an appearance a few days ago.

As far as Google trends this past week, only two things made the list. The
Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin fight did 2.5 million searches, which was the same as last week’s Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson UFC show. The only other thing for the week making the list was the death of Elias Theordorou, which was No. 17 on Monday with 100,000. The last few days the list was dominated by pro and college football. 

Notably, the Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul match did not make the list, nor did yesterday’s UFC show. The idea was to hold the press conference in Las Vegas yesterday when people were in town for the Alvarez fight and thus get legitimate sportswriters, notably the boxing press talking about it. From what I’ve seen, its mostly people who cover pro wrestling that are writing about it, unlike the MMA and boxing press who covered far more when Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury were announced in Las Vegas for a Saudi Arabia show. 

Jose Aldo, who had one fight left on his UFC contract, is retiring and has gotten a release from his contract. He was also removed from the rankings. He was WEC and then UFC featherweight champion from a 2010 win over Urijah Faber that was a huge PPV success until his 2015 loss to Conor McGregor, which at the time was one of the biggest UFC fights in history.

We’re looking for reports from these events over the weekend:

      • Smackdown TV from Anaheim with dark match results
      • WWE house show last night in Bakersfield, CA
      • WWE house show tonight in Oakland,CA
      • MLW TV tapings tonight in Norcross, GA
      • All Japan Budokan Hall show today

The MLW TV taping lineup tonight:

      • Alex Hammerstone vs. Bandido for MLW title
      • Willie Mack vs. Jacob Fatu street fight
      • Laredo Kid & Komander & Microman vs. Gino Medina & Black Taurus & Mini Abismo Negro
      • Myron Reed vs. Shun Skywalker for middleweight title
      • Davey Richards vs SB Kento for national title
      • Taya Valkyrie defends women’s featherweight title against winner of an earlier Lady Shani vs. Lady Flammer vs. La Hiedra & Reina Dorada match
      • Alex Kane prize fight
      • Mads Krugger vs. Mance Warner

We’ll have more on this later, but people were raving about the Jarochita mask vs. mask win over Reyna Isis and the Atlantis Jr. mask win over Stuka Jr. at Friday’s anniversary show of CMLL. I had those in the business in particular say that the women’s match was must-see.

Kento Miyahara beat Suwama to win the Triple Crown at the Budokan Hall main event today.

A correction from Friday’s update. WWE is having a show on 12/27 in Detroit. WWE released a schedule of events that didn’t include anything on 12/27 but that show is on the calendar and has been announced.

Another correction is that Devon Nicholson is not standing trial on 10/12 regarding the assault allegation of his ex-girlfriend. That date will be the next hearing. Nicholson on hid podcast noted his ex-girlfriend Minsaki Mona Yates also has assault charges from the incident. Nicholson is claiming self defense.

Other Notes

Stardom results from today in Osaka:

      • Utami Hayashishita & Lady C b Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo
      • Red block: Koguma b Unagi Sayaka
      • Red block: Saki b Mai Sakurai
      • Blue block: Starlight Kid b Mina Shirakawa
      • Blue block: Giulia b Ami Sohrei
      • Blue block: Saya Kamitani d Mirai 15:00
      • Red block: Tam Nakano b Risa Sera
      • Blue block: Suzu Suzuki b Momo Watanabe

Will Ospreay noted he had 30 hours of travel to get to today’s New Japan show in Beppu that ended up being canceled. The Fukuoka show today is also canceled due to the typhoon in Japan. Right next the next show is schedule for Wednesday in Kumamoto.

Pro Wrestling Eve has announced to Wrestle Queendom shows, an afternoon and an evening show on 11/13 at The Venue in Great Portland Street in London. Jetta defends the Eve title against Alex Windsor. It’s noted that Jetta’s fiance i Windsor’s best friend. Millie McKenzie faces Miyu Yamashita, noting that until now the match was impossible to book because McKenzie was with WWE UK and Yamashita worked with AEW. Both those matches will be on the afternoon show and the two winners will face for the title on the evening show. Takumi Iroha, the AAAW champion from Marvelous and Stardom faces Kanji.

Nick Wayne was to wrestle Callum Newman on today’s Progress show but Wayne had to pull out of the match due to an injury. Progress said the match will happen in the future when Wayne is healthy.

WAR on 10/8 in Lima, OH at the Empowered Sports Center.

Republic of Lucha ran a show yesterday in South Pasadena, CA in the parking lot of the Lucha store that Penta and Fenix own and they booked this show: 

      • Demus b Mascarita Dorada (Fun opener)
      • Taya b Lady Flammer (hard hitting a lot of brawling)
      • Brian Cage won a three-way over Willie Mack and Black Taurus when Cage pinned Taurus
      • Rey Leon & Zokre b Latigo & Black Magic in a pure lucha match 
      • Lince Dorado b Matt Sydal
      • QT Marshall & Aaron Solo b Penta & Fenix. Lots of crowd brawling. Marshall got great heat
      • Rush & Bestia del Ring caused Penta & Fenix to lose and challenged them to a match
      • They ended the show at 7:30 p.m. so fans had time to get dinner and watch the Canelo Alvarez fight (thanks to Chris Whitehead)

New Japan’s second show on 10/27 at the Palladium in New York only has 492 tickets out in a 1,000 seat building after the Friday show sold out. (thanks to Wrestle Tix)

Prestige Wrestling from Pomona, CA last night: 

      • Jordan Cruz b Robert Martyr
      • Alan Angels b Bateman
      • Tom Lawlor & Jorel Nelson b Atticus Cogar & Rickey Shane Page
      • Taya Valkyrie b Dark Sheik
      • AC Mack b Sonico to keep IWTW title
      •  Miyu Yamashita b Trish Adora
      • Alex Shelley b Calvin Tankman
      • Sandra Moone b Maki Itoh 
      • Malakai Black b Kidd Bandit

MCW from Friday night in Joppa, MD:

      • KiLynn King won three-way over Katie Arquette and Zoey Skye
      • Amber Rodriguez & Adena Steele b Zayda Steel & Portia
      • Trish Adora b Dani Mo
      • Rey Lyn b Queen Aminata
      • Vicious Vicki b Gabby Ortiz
      • Kelsey Raegen b Brittany Blake
      • Mandy Leon won MLW women’s title in four-way over Gia Scott, Leila Grey and Melina

Boom Pro Wrestling from last night in Vancouver, BC: 

      • Billy Suede b ?
      • Tony Baroni b Elliot Tyler
      • President Abraham Lincoln (Pete Powers) b Parm Singh Mann
      • Brady Malibu b Shareeef Morrow
      • Ravenous Randy b Travis Williams
      • Cat Power won three-way over Nicole Matthews and Liza Hall
      • Actor Sachin Sahel of “The 100” was at the show and turned heel to join Brady Malibu
      • Next show is 10/29